


Suddenly Everything Has Changed

by iconis



Category: Pundit RPF (US), The Daily Show
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-11
Updated: 2010-12-11
Packaged: 2017-10-15 10:52:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/160111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iconis/pseuds/iconis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neil gets a job at the Daily Show. Jon is intrigued.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Suddenly Everything Has Changed

It's a regular, no-bullshit, balls-to-the-wall kind of day at the studio again and it's the first moment Jon's had to just breathe. He's had his sandwich and his coffee and the break room is quiet for once; he's learned the rhythm of his team, knowing exactly when the right moment is to slip away to look at the newspapers, read the blogs, take a little break from the news with the news. Jon's sitting there, one hand on the touchpad of someone's MacBook Air and coffee in the other hand, enjoying his ten minutes, when he hears someone come in. He doesn't want to turn around and look, because in all likelihood it's Stephen and it'll be loud and he'll get crap about Anderson again and while he loves Stephen to death, Jon's just not in the mood.

“Sorry.” Jon looks at the guy who's looking at him like he's covered in dung. “That's mine, and I sorta need it.” The guy reaches and snatches the laptop away from Jon, sitting down a few chairs away. “What - why does my laptop smell like roast beef and onion?”

The guy's looking at Jon, and for once, Jon's speechless. The guy looks unbelievably cranky, like Stephen looks when Jon hides his favorite pen.

“Uh. I just had a bagel?” The frown on the guy's face deepens and suddenly Jon feels incredibly guilty. “Sorry.”

“Yeah. Okay. My laptop's covered in greasy finger prints now,” the guy sighs and Jon can't help himself. He laughs.

The guy shoots him a look of complete contempt, snaps the laptop lid shut and shoves it towards him. “Here. Enjoy. It was a job perk, anyway.” Jon blinks and watches the guy leave the break room.

***

Jon doesn't forget. He sees the kid – because, let's face it, compared to him, most of them are kids – he sees him around but they don't seem to share any more lunch breaks. Jon still has the guy's laptop, sitting on a chair in his office, half buried under paper and something Stephen had given him calling it “a very festive hat for Hanukkah.”

Jon figures he should return the laptop but he's a little afraid, to be honest. He doesn't want to be the shitty boss and fire some college graduate kid just to show he likes his people with a better sense of humor. Jon figures the kid can't be all bad, seeing him talk to the writers at the set and making them laugh, for once.

It's late on Friday and he should be home by then, Jon thinks, but it's election season and he's excited and the house is a little too empty, nowadays. He's thinking about calling Anderson, just for the hell of it, but who knows where Anderson is, could be half-way across the world single-handedly saving baby orphan whales at North Pole, for all Jon knows. He's just about to pull his jacket on and leave when the guy's standing in the door way.

“Hey. You still have my laptop.”

Jon blinks. He likes to think of himself as a somewhat witty and eloquent man, but something about the kid's attitude throws him right off. “Uh. Yeah.”

The kid just stands there looking expectant and vaguely bored. Jon can't stop his grin. “Though technically, you gave it to me, hence making it mine.”

“Sure. Now I'm taking it back.” The guy smiles but there's not really much that you could interpret as friendly in his demeanor. Jon grins a little wider.

“I'll give it back to you if I can find it.”

“It's on the chair behind under that flower arrangement.”

“It's a hat.”

“Sure, that's a hat and I'm Glenn Beck. Hand it over, I have shit to finish before I can go home.”

Jon laughs. “Have we even been introduced?”

Kid rolls his eyes. “No, and I wouldn't have the slightest idea who you are.”

“Well, that's good. Am I making a good second impression?” Jon finds himself grinning wider. Something in the back of his head is screaming 'danger, danger' in a manner that reminds him of Stephen being faced with a photo of Sarah Palin kissing a small child.

The kid blinks. “Okay, what the fuck?”

Jon laughs and extends his hand. “Jon Stewart.”

Kid sighs, shakes his hand. “Neil Lambert. You need help with getting that laptop to me or should I just come back on a better day?”

Jon takes the laptop from under the papers. “It still has the finger prints.”

“That's okay, I'm just gonna sell it on Ebay and I'll get more for it if they're still there. Later.”

***

“So basically what you're saying is, is that now that your wife has finally left you, you've decided to have an affair with a 25-year-old intern?” Stephen shoots him a look over the rim of his glasses and goes back to preening at the mirror.

“No. What I'm saying is, isn't it a little weird I'm – and really, he's not an intern, okay, he's a researcher and thanks, that makes me feel so much better. I'd completely forgotten about my divorce.”

“Honey, it was just a matter of time.”

“Screw you, Stephen. And stop calling me honey.”

***

Jon doesn't seem to be able to stop bumping into Neil, after that. He doesn't really talk to him, much anyway. They catch each other in the hallway all the time, and Jon feels like an idiot, stopping and smiling and nodding like a moron, which he says out loud when he's lying in bed and Stephen's hair is tickling his arm. It's quiet and late and it hasn't stopped snowing all day.

“That's probably because you are a moron.”

“Thanks, Stephen. See if you get any late night phone calls, anymore.”

“You love me.” Stephen smiles, sitting up in bed. “Seriously, Jon. You'll get over it. It's just a rebound thing, you know that. Someone nice and seemingly available, flirting with you-”

“He's really not that nice nor flirting with me-”

“Jon, you've lost the last traces of any masculinity you might have ever had. Get over it.”

Jon looks at Stephen, can't help cracking a smile. Stephen winks at him, leans over to drop a sweet kiss on his lips. “Should we braid our hair next or maybe make prank calls? That Neil sure is dreamy-”

“Shut up, Colbert.”

***

It's been a month and things have eased up from the elections. Life's going on around Jon, so he feels, with infrequent meetings with Stephen, work taking up most of his time and energy. It's one in the morning on a Tuesday and Jon's at the gym, on the treadmill which he hates but realizes he needs to use, being a 48-year-old man with a fairly public job. When he sees Neil walk in, he feels like running away.

Neil glances at him and nods. “Hi.”

Jon's astounded by the indifference that could almost be interpreted as friendliness and says so. “You finally warming up to me?”

“No.”

“I'm not sure you're not lying to me.”

“No.”

Jon laughs and for a second swears he sees a smile on Neil's face as well. He slows the treadmill down, swipes his forehead with the hem of his shirt.

Neil snorts. “Nice. Hygienic.”

“What can I say, I'm a man's man,” Jon says and there it is, an actual smile and suddenly all bets are off.

“Whatcha doing here in the middle of the night? Really don't have anything better to do?” Jon takes a drink from his water bottle.

Neil shrugs. “You work me such fucked up hours I need to come here when I have the time. And shouldn't you be home watching your kids sleep or something?”

Jon smiles wider, hiding the sting. “I'm sure they've been sleeping just fine.”

Neil glances at Jon. “Yeah, I heard something like that. Are you gonna need the treadmill or can I take over?”

Jon moves away, gesturing at the exercise equipment. “'s all yours.”

***

Jon's sitting in the sauna, sipping from his water bottle and wondering about the time, when Neil walks in, raising his eyebrow at Jon.

“You stalking me?”

Jon smiles. Suddenly he feels like an old man. “Sure, if it makes you feel better.”

Neil actually grins and lays himself down on the bench, bunching up an extra towel he has under his head as a pillow. “Not really.”

Jon pretends he's not looking. Neil's pale, too pale for someone who's supposedly from California. Jon appreciates what he sees, though. Neil's handsome and healthy and young, light dusting of dark hairs leading down his chest to his lower abdomen, rest disappearing under the stark white towel wrapped around Neil's hips. Jon sighs. “Well, I'll leave you to enjoy your peace. Unless you'll fall asleep. Our insurance can't take any more casualties.”

Neil chuckles. “Thanks for the concern.”

Jon looks one more time and leaves. He won't be that person.

***

Stephen can't keep his mouth shut. This is something Jon knows very well, but when a few days later Neil's standing at his office door again, Jon has no idea it's Stephen's fault.

“Thanks for the flowers.”

Jon blinks. “You're quite welcome. Where'd you steal them, the green room?”

“They were delivered to my apartment last night.” Neil waves a card that's in his hand. “The card's special, y'know - “To our hunkalicious researcher. Hope you enjoy these as much as you enjoy the steamroom.” Pretty poetic.”

Jon chokes on his coffee.

***

Neil stops by pretty much every day after that. He brings the good coffee, sometimes; most of the time he sits and reads something on his laptop, looking like he's either doing something important for humanity or just avoiding his job. They talk, even if it's sparse and dotted with insults and leaving Jon feeling like he's either over-interpreting everything or just really fucking dumb. Neil's wit is sharp and his comebacks make Jon want to actually buy Neil flowers and occasionally, weep at his feet. So when one day Jon's mouth works before his brain does it's not really a surprise.

“Have dinner with me. Or, come to dinner at my house. Tonight.”

Neil looks at Jon. “Will Colbert be there?”

Jon blinks. “I... don't think so?”

“Okay. I just thought since you guys are together, maybe he'd-”

“Wait, back up, back up. Stephen and I aren't so much together as we're not together.”

“Sure. Anyway, you don't think he'll mind?”

Jon almost gives up, right there and then. Then he takes a moment to think. “Has Stephen. Talked to you lately?”

***

Neil shows up on time with a case of imported beer and a deli bag. “I figured I'd save myself from food poisoning.” Jon doesn't have time to process things when Neil leans into him and drops a kiss on his cheek, acting like he's always kissing people's cheeks and not verbally punching them. “Nice house. Soccer dad sweater, Italian shoes. My dad would approve. You should've seen the people my brother used to date.”

“I'm still not too comfortable talking about your dad, so could we please not?”

Neil looks around, looking mildly curious but mostly like he's ready to leave.

Jon takes the bag and the beer from Neil. “Lemme put the beer in the fridge. Food's ready, I. Had sushi delivered.”

Neil smiles. “You're so fucking predictable.”

“Gotta try everything once.”

***

They have dinner in a relative quiet. Jon fights against the instinct to turn the TV on until Neil reaches over him and grabs the remote. Neil turns the TV on to Fox News. They eat, commenting on the show and the writing and the insanity, and when Jon's phone rings, they've finished most of the beer and Neil's shouting and throwing chopsticks at the TV.

“Hello?” Jon says, seemingly unable to stop grinning.

“Did you do him yet?”

“...What?”

“Did you, as the younger and more limber folk say, do him yet? Did you, will you and/or are you doing him right now?”

Jon switches his phone off.

After walking around for a while and yelling random insults at the man on TV, Neil sits back down and switches the channel. Storm Chasers is on and Jon watches Neil watching it for a while. Neil seems to be more lost in thought rather than watching the show, but he laughs at the appropriate places and quiets down to enjoy the show. Jon's watching Neil and then the TV and then he's not seeing the TV anymore, because Neil is astride in his lap and all Jon can see or hear or smell is Neil. The look on Neil's face still looks pretty indifferent to Jon, but then he looks into Neil's eyes and sees his blown pupils and figures he's not alone in the excited department.

They're so close, but neither is willing to close that last distance. Jon runs his hands up along Neil's thighs, fitting them on Neil's hips, kneading lightly. He sees Neil's eyes flutter for just a fraction of a second. Jon grins, grin widening by the moment when he hears Neil's tiny frustrated sound when he slips his thumbs under the hem of Neil's T-shirt, fingertips meeting soft, hot skin. “Gotcha.”

“No.”

Jon laughs, voice low and husky, and their bodies press closer together and it's easy for Jon to brush his lips against Neil's, breathe with him for a while. The kiss is slow and surprisingly tender and Jon loses the last of his reservations when Neil flicks his tongue lightly against his. Neil's confidence extends to this, too, Jon notices, and the subtle power struggle that Jon realizes they're in flares up when Neil tugs on Jon's hair to tilt his head back and kisses his neck. Jon lets out a low growl and grabs Neil's wrists firmly and brings them behind Neil's back in one smooth movement, throwing Neil off balance.

“What the fuck?” Neil breathes, obviously frustrated and Jon grabs his wrists a little firmer.

“Uh-huh. So pushy. What's the hurry?” Jon smiles against Neil's lips.

***

They make out for a long time, until Jon's lips are swollen and stinging lightly and he can't feel his legs anymore. Neil stops pushing so hard, puts all of his focus on Jon and Jon feels like his heart might not make it. Neil's gotten Jon's sweater off and Jon has his hands under Neil's t-shirt. Neil pulls back slowly, out of breath. “Do you think we could get off this fucking couch and get to a bed or something? It's not that I don't like being treated like the fifteen-year-old babysitter but a nice, flat surface would be great.”

Jon grins, lets Neil get up slowly, laughing at his yelping. “Fuck you, old man, my entire lower body's all pins and needles. Lemme see if you're still laughing when you try to get up.”

Jon gets up and almost falls over, enjoying Neil's laugh despite the goddamn agony he's in. “See, what did I tell you, fucker?” Neil's grinning at Jon and something painfully pleasureful tinges in Jon's chest. He leans in and steals a kiss and when it doesn't hurt so much, leads Neil by the waist to his bedroom. Neil is not shy, not by a long shot, and he discards his clothes as soon as they get to there. Jon stops to look at Neil, who's gorgeous, young and slim.

“C'mon, old man.” Neil walks up to him, slipping his hands under Jon's undershirt, pushing it up and over his head and throws it on the bed. He unbuckles Jon's belt and pushes his pants down and for the first time in a good twenty years, Jon feels self-conscious. He distracts Neil by kissing him deeply and pushing him back towards the bed. Neil lies down on the bed and pushes himself up and reaches for Jon, breathing hard, eyes dark and Jon's breath hitches. He gets on the bed, lies on top of Neil, their legs tangling and the contact, Neil's hot skin against him makes him his. Neil makes a low, desperate noise, pushing Jon's underwear down and pushing at Jon, rolling them over.

Jon rolls and Neil comes with him, hands everywhere, petting and stroking and squeezing Jon's arms and shoulders.

Neil's on top of Jon and kissing his neck and chest and when Neil speaks, low and husky, Jon's entire body tenses up with excitement. “Fuck, I wanna suck you so bad, lemme taste you.” Neil kisses down Jon's chest and his abdomen and nuzzles Jon's hip and then his mouth is on Jon's cock, perfect wet heat and Jon can just barely keep himself from coming. Neil twirls his tongue and sucks hard, swallowing around Jon and then it's a race against time, Neil sucking him hard and tight. Jon doesn't dare look down, knowing it would be over if he saw Neil's face, the look in Neil's eyes. He pets Neil's hair, his curls rubbing against his palm.

Neil pulls back, licking slowly up the length of Jon's cock and Jon shudders, lifts his head to see Neil. Neil has his eyes closed, but opens them, like he senses Jon watching and it's enough, the feel of Neil's tongue against the underside of his cock and the way he's looking at Jon. He comes in long, hot spurts on his stomach, and Neil growls, teasing the sensitive spots with his tongue until Jon's almost uncomfortably sensitive.

Jon is so relaxed, but the urge is still there, he wants to pull Neil up by his hair to kiss him but he doesn't have to, Neil's sliding up and kissing him deeply and desperately. He's pressing his hips against Jon, dick sliding against the hot mess on Jon's stomach, Jon's hands on his ass urging him on and then Neil is coming, whimpering in Jon's ear. It takes forever to Neil's shuddering to subside and Jon turns Neil's head gently, kissing him through the aftershocks.

They lay there for a while, Neil relaxed and quiet against him. Jon runs his hand slowly up and down Neil's back and butt. Finally Neil rolls off him, quietly sitting up to reach Jon's undershirt and wipes them both clean with it. Neil's quiet, and when it looks like Neil's getting up, Jon reaches to touch his arm. “Going somewhere?”

Neil turns to look at him, something uncharacteristically unsure in his look for a second before he sighs. “I was gonna take a piss, but if you're gonna get lonely.”

Jon laughs, pretending like he's not relieved, and swats Neil's arm. “Bring a washcloth, will you?” Neil nods, something recognizable and warm in his eyes, and then Jon has to pull Neil down for a kiss, just because.

***

A week later Jon's sitting his office when Neil knocks on his door. “Got a minute?”

Jon smiles widely. “For you, always.”

Neil rolls his eyes. “I was gonna ask you - why do I have an invite to a job interview in my mail?”

Jon blinks. “I don't know. Have you applied for - “ Jon pauses. “Lemme see it?”

Neil gives the envelope to Jon and he recognizes the handwriting instantly. “Just a minute. “ He speed dials the number and puts it on speaker.

“Hello, my dearest, my darlingest, how can I help you on this fine evening?”

Neil's eyebrow shoot up. Jon rolls his eyes at Neil. “So just for curiosity's sake, you didn't actually think I'd let you steal him away from us, right?”

“I have no earthly idea what you're talking about. I was merely suggesting a, how should I put it, a preliminary meeting to see if we-”

“No.”

“But Jon, really - “

“No.”

“Oh, alright. He's taught you well, I can see that. You continue your little secret romantic tryst, you two-”

“Hey, Colbert?”

“Yes, my dear boy, the fruit of - “

“If you leave us alone for two consecutive weeks, starting now, I can totally set you up on a date with my brother.”

Jon disconnects the phone by tugging the plug from the wall.


End file.
